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How to Quit |
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Get ready
Get information
Find a method
Get support
Set a quit date
Quit
Don't give up
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Before Your Visit
- Decide where you are in the quitting process. Even if you are not ready to quit, your doctor can help you understand how smoking is affecting your health.
- If you are not considering quitting in the near future, talk with your doctor about your health and any concerns you have about your smoking. Get accurate information about the current effects smoking is having on your health. It's better to be informed about health concerns early on instead of later.
- If you have tried to quit before, think about what was helpful and what was not in making the quit attempt. What things went wrong?
- If you are ready to quit, set a quit date.
- Ask a friend or someone in your family to provide support during the quitting process. This is someone you can call upon during the tough times when you feel the urge to smoke. It's best to choose an ex-smoker.
- Read up on smoking cessation therapies, nicotine replacement products, behavioral counseling and other interventions. Your doctor will help you decide which may work best in your case.
- Tell your doctor about any medical conditions, such as asthma or emphysema, that are aggravated by smoking. If you are pregnant, or plan to get pregnant, tell your doctor.
- Think about past quit attempts. What worked and what didn't? Bring up your past experiences with your doctor and see if you can come up with a better strategy this time.
How "ready" are you?
Answer the questions below to determine how ready you are to change.
Do you have little tolerance for talk of quitting, addiction or the dangers associated with cigarette use? If so, your chances of quitting any time soon are slim to none.
Are you beginning to believe that smoking may be harmful? Do you believe it may be possible to quit? If so, you are contemplating quitting and may decide, at some point in the not-too-distant future, to give quitting a try.
Are you ready to quit and make a change in your life? Do you think you'll be ready in about one month? If so, you are preparing to quit.
Have you made an active attempt to quit smoking? You are working towards your goal of being nicotine-free. You can be successful if you believe in yourself. With each passing day, you will feel more confident as you move closer to your goal.
Do you feel healthier and crave cigarettes less frequently? Congratulations. You are on your way to a new, smoke-free life.
More on Smoking The Great American Smokeout
In the Encyclopedia: Lung diseases due to gas or chemical exposure
Buerger's disease
Smoking
Superior vena cava syndrome
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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